Join Us! APRIL 28-30, 2026 | SYRACUSE, NY
The 2026 Conference Committee is thrilled to invite you to our newly redesigned NYSNA Annual Conference, taking place in spring in Syracuse, NY. After years of thoughtful planning and transition, this new spring format arrives at the perfect time—because our theme, “Imagine the Possibilities,” reflects exactly what we’ve spent the past year exploring. This redesign didn’t just happen. It was intentionally shaped through NYSNA’s recent journey into the Event Design Program and the launch of our first Event Design cohort. Over the past year, a select team of NYSNA leaders worked through the globally recognized #EventCanvas
methodology℠, closely examining the needs, motivations, and realities of everyone we serve. Together, we reimagined not only what the Annual Conference could look like, but why it matters—and how it can create deeper outcomes for members, attendees, and partners. As our industry continues to evolve, so do we. Just think about where school nutrition was five years ago. None of us imagined curb-side meal service during a pandemic—or that universal school meals would become a reality for every child. And yet here we are, achieving things once considered impossible. That’s exactly why Event Design matters: it helps us prepare—not for the past, but for what’s possible next. What emerged from this work is a bold, human-centered redesign that begins in 2026 and will continue shaping NYSNA events in the years ahead. This new approach brings clearer purpose, stronger alignment, and a vision rooted in mission— and guided by empathy. So today, I invite you to imagine what the future of our profession could look like. Imagine the innovations we haven’t discovered yet. Imagine the challenges we’ll solve together. Imagine the possibilities…
MEET THE 2026 Conference Committee
Megan Bates, SNS | Capital Region BOCES Conference Chair
Caitlin Lazarski, MS, RD, SNS | Pine Bush CSD Elena Montgomery | Pittsford Central School District Samantha Hartman | Penfield Central School District Beth Krause, RD, CDN | Ithaca School Food Service
Maggie Anatriello | Niskayuna Central Schools Kristin Colarusso-Martin | Massena Central School District
Stephanie Lawler | Sabin Meyer Corp Marianne Dayton, SNS | Affinity Group
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FreshBites
WINTER 2026
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